Donate With Care
The Right Way to Donate After Spring-Cleaning
Spring is in the air, and it’s time to celebratewith another round of spring- cleaning. Banish the clutter and make room in your life for something new! Many charities see a sharp increase in donations as spring-cleaning season starts. Donating your used books, kids’ toys, and gently worn clothing allows your old items to have a second life. However, when filling that donation box, make sure you’re donating each item because it can do good and not just because you feel bad about throwing it away. Charities have a big problem with well-meaning citizens dropping off items that are better left in the trash. There are many items charities simply cannot handle. Most charities will have lists of items they can and cannot accept on their websites. Some items that you should not donate include:
These itemsmay be unsafe to sell, costly to ship, or impossible to refurbish effectively. When a charity regularly receives items they cannot use, they have to spend hours of manpower sorting through things that end up in the trash anyway. This process can be expensive for organizations with already-strained resources. Some local charities spend over $1,000 a year on dumpster and trash removal fees for unusable donations. While charities will have no choice but to throw unusable donations in the trash, there are services you can use to make your spring-cleaning eco-friendly, even for items you can’t donate. For example, if you have torn or stained blue jeans, reach out to Blue Jeans Go Green. This program keeps denim out of landfills by turning it into insulation. And while Goodwill can't take your batteries or old flip phone, you can check out Call2Recycle.org to learn how to safely recycle your e-waste.
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Expired medications
Old TVs
Cribs
Loose remote controls
• Personal care items, like soap, shampoo, or makeup • Mattresses • Carpets • Tangled cords or phone chargers • Any broken, damaged, or dirty items
Your donations can be a big help to local charities. Just don’t “donate” your garbage.
BAKERY-STYLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
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Ingredients • 3 cups (380 grams) all-purpose flour •
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1 1/4 cups (247 grams) light brown sugar, lightly packed 2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
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2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
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2 large eggs, at room temperature 2 cups (340 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
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1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
directions
1. Heat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. With an electric mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. 4. If time permits, wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours but no more than 72 hours. This allows the dough to “marinate” and makes the cookies thicker, chewier, and more flavorful. Let dough sit at room temperature just until it is soft enough to scoop. 5. Divide dough into 3-tablespoon balls using a large cookie scoop and drop onto prepared baking sheets. 6. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
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